The Life and Trials of Liam Murphy
by coldfusion9797
Summary: Sequel to What Heath Wants. Heath and Liam face the challenges of life together. Or maybe Liam just faces the challenge that is Heath. Either way, you know it's gonna be adorable. Heath/Liam. Set 2011.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Here we go again! Yes, this is a sequel, it follows on from What Heath Wants, picking up Heath and Liam's story a couple of months after the last story ended. Again I am basing some of this on plot points from the show and anything that doesn't fit with cannon is most likely intentional. And again, I am taking liberties with timelines. All the same warnings apply- slash, swearing, occasional violence. **

**lycanus1, lola, Challenger243 and RowenaLongbottom this is for you guys. Enjoy! **

Heath woke in utter contentment, Casey was coming home today. Coming back to his family where he belonged. The trial had been hard to take, the sentence even harder and then Casey was gone. Heath had done time in juvie himself and he knew how bad it could be. He hated to think of his little brother there, but Casey had proved tough, he'd survived it and for Casey, soon it would all be a bad memory. Selfishly, Heath couldn't say the same. Through it all Liam had been there with him and it had brought them so much closer. If it had been himself or Brax, Heath probably could've handled it better, but seeing Casey dragged through that after they'd tried so hard to keep him out of it all was bloody hard to deal with. On top of everything else it was a failure. And life hadn't been easy for Brax either. He and the cop had run into some trouble with Pirovitch and the germ had ended up shot dead because of it. That whole incident had brought Brax and Charlie closer too and Heath would've been left alone to deal if he didn't have Liam. He was so thankful that he did. Heath shuffled back a little, pressing himself as close as he could to Liam, who was curled sleeping behind him. Man, he loved this. Heath ghosted his fingers over the arm Liam had wrapped around him, while he thought of how lucky he was, of how he never wanted to this to end. Of course he'd never say any of this rubbish to Liam, but it was ok to think it. He felt Liam's hold on him tighten and knew that meant the other man was waking.

"Good morning," Liam mumbled, pressing a kiss to Heath's shoulder. Indeed it was. Laying here in bed with the man he loved, nothing could ruin this moment...except maybe a knock at the door. But then Heath remembered Casey was being released today. He flew out of bed, wearing just his boxers, and went to answer it. He was reaching for the handle before he realised that Casey wouldn't need to knock. He pulled the door open anyway to see Connie Callahan, and Tegan's little girl...his little girl.

"Heath," Connie sighed, as though she expected no less from him than to answer the door in his underwear. Great, they were off to a brilliant start already.

"Hi Connie, is there anything I can do for you?" Heath asked with a polite smile in an attempt to salvage the situation.

"Well actually there is..." Connie said, though clearly she wasn't happy about it. "Look, I wouldn't have come here if I had anywhere else to go, but my sister's in hospital and I need someone to take care of Darcy for a little while. Do you think you can do that?"

"Sure," Heath said, what kind of a loser Dad would he be if he couldn't take care of his own kid for a couple of hours?

"Are your brothers here?" Connie enquired.

"No, but Casey will be here soon, he gets out of juvie today." Connie looked at him with unveiled disgust. "It's not like he killed anyone," Heath hurried to explain, "he just set a building on fire..." His explanation didn't seem to help. Connie put her hand on Darcy's shoulder to guide her away. "Wait," Heath said, suddenly wishing Connie wouldn't take the girl away, "I can do this Connie. She'll be alright here. You said it's just for a little while right?" Connie looked at him consideringly, weighing her options and apparently she had a heart in there somewhere because finally she consented.

"Alright," she said tightly, "I'll be back as soon as I can. Darcy has everything she needs in her backpack. I'll be back in time for her lunch but just in case, I've packed her a sandwich." Now she turned to Darcy. "Be a good girl Darcy, _you_ know the difference between right and wrong." Fucking hell, how much did she think he could corrupt the kid in a few hours? Although he did take some satisfaction from the fact that Darcy was half Braxton and there was nothing Connie could do about that. Darcy nodded and said goodbye to her grandmother. And then Connie was gone, leaving Heath responsible for the care of his daughter.

"It's good to see ya Darcy," he told her with a grin, certain that his charm could win the child over.

"Should I call you Dad?" Darcy shot back, wow, that was straight to the point. Heath hadn't really thought about it, but it seemed like the logical thing to do.

"Sure, if you want to." She gave him a sideways glance as she marched past him into the house. Geez, tough crowd. It was then that Liam emerged from the bedroom.

"Who're you?" Darcy asked with that frankness children have.

"I'm Liam, and you must be Darcy..." Liam ventured, glancing at Heath for confirmation. Heath nodded. Darcy dismissed it and moved on.

"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

"Umm..." Liam began, wondering if he should point out that he was wearing boxers and that they totally counted as clothes.

"Okaay," Heath said much louder than necessary, and he threw Liam a 'maybe you better get dressed' look. "How about you do some colouring in or something, huh kiddo?"

"Ok," she agreed happily, perching herself at the table and pulling a book and some pencils from her backpack. Liam retreated to the bedroom and was followed soon after by Heath.

"So that's your daughter..." Liam said as he pulled on yesterday's jeans.

"Yeah," Heath said as he threw on a singlet, "Connie must be bloody desperate if I'm allowed to look after her, I've never had her on my own before..." In fact, Heath had only met his daughter on a couple of occasions before today, and they hadn't been under the best of circumstances.

"You know," Liam said, failing to hide a smile, "I can see the resemblance..."

"Shut up," Heath shot back, hurling a pillow at Liam for that smartarse comment. But it was kinda nice to think that Darcy wasn't completely unlike him.

Less than a minute later they reappeared back in Darcy's presence, fully clothed this time. The little girl was still at the table working furiously on colouring in a rabbit that was sitting on a mushroom, it wouldn't be long before she was done. What other stuff did kids like to do?

"You know what Darcy, it's a nice day, how 'bout we go to the beach?"

"Yeah!" she said excitedly jumping up from her seat and abandoning her multi-coloured rabbit.

"Cool, we can swing by the bait shop and get you a spade and stuff on the way." Heath threw Liam a look as if to say 'you got it covered?'

"Sure," Liam agreed, he wasn't gonna not let the kid have a couple toys for the beach because Heath hadn't sold any drugs recently. Heath said he meant to get out of dealing one day, but it was hard when it was the only earning based skill he had. Liam wanted to help him but he just wasn't sure how without sounding condescending. Anyway, that was a conversation for another day.

As planned they went via the bait shop and once they were at the beach they got to work on building a castle. Now that he had tools, Heath tutored both Darcy and Liam on the finer points of building an awesome sandcastle. Liam spent less time thinking about the particulars of sandcastle construction, than he did watching the easy way Heath and Darcy got along. It was unlike most father-daughter relationships, they were more like peers now that they had a common goal, and that made Liam smile. Heath fitting right in with the mentality of a ten year old seemed about right.

"What are you grinning at?" Heath asked suddenly.

"It's a nice day and we're a family at the beach, I'm happy." Heath continued to look at Liam sceptically for a few moments longer before getting back to helping Darcy.

Eventually the pair declared they were done and Darcy insisted upon finding shells to decorate the castle. The three of them combed the beach, not having a whole lot of luck and Darcy became adamant that the best ones would be up the other end of the beach. So they walked all the way there and back, not finding any better shells than the ones they had, but it didn't matter, this was nice. By the time they made it back a good while later, Darcy having stopped to investigate every piece of weed and creature that had washed up, the tide had risen enough that the waves were lapping at the remains of their ruined castle. Darcy wanted to start again, and maybe Heath did too, so they did. By the time they were done, Darcy was tired, and they were all hungry so they headed back to the house.

Heath's good mood took a hit when they arrived back at the house to see an angry Connie waiting for them.

"Where have you been?"

"We-" Heath began but Darcy cut him off.

"We went to the beach Gran, it was so much fun, we built a sandcastle and collected shells," here Darcy turned out the contents of her pockets which contained just as much sand as shells, Connie didn't look as excited as Darcy about it. "We were just coming back to have lunch."

"Lunch? It's two o'clock." Heath looked at his watch, so it was.

"Boy, time really does fly when you're having fun, huh Darce?"

"Yeah," she grinned up at him.

"So she hasn't had anything to eat since I dropped her off?"

"Nah, I haven't either. Like she said, we were gonna have lunch now."

"She's a child, she needs food." Connie was getting way too worked up about this.

"Chill, there's some in the house, we can eat now." Heath walked inside to the fridge and why Connie followed him, he'll never know. Maybe if she hadn't everything wouldn't have turned to shit. "Ok, what have we got here?" Nothing by the looks of it, maybe he'd have better luck in the freezer. "Uh-huh! Perfect." He pulled a tub of choc chip ice-cream out.

"That is not food." Connie stated.

"Sure it is," Heath said, pulling the lid off and grabbing a spoon. He tried to hand the tub to Darcy but Connie stepped in front her so he couldn't.

"You can't seriously think it's alright to feed her ice-cream for lunch?"

"I don't see what the big deal is?"

"No," Connie said, "you don't. That's what frightens me the most."

"Hey c'mon," Liam said, finally stepping in. He was going to mind his own business and leave this to Heath but now Connie was just being a bitch and he wasn't gonna let her treat Heath like this.

"And who're you?" Connie asked disdainfully.

"A friend of Heath's."

"One that obviously doesn't have children..." she said judgmentally.

"Not that it's any of your business but actually I-"

"He didn't have any clothes on this morning," Darcy chimed in. Connie snapped.

"That's it, we are going right now! Darcy, get your things." Darcy went to pack her book and pencils in her backpack.

"Hang on a minute," Heath said to Connie, "it wasn't like that, he was wearing pyjamas." Again, Heath's explanation didn't help, he just couldn't catch a break. Connie looked back and forwards between them both, her gaze settling on Liam.

"You're one of _those_," she said making no effort to hide her disgust.

"One of what?" Liam said, firing up at her.

"_Those_," she repeated, mindful of the fact that Darcy was here. "And you," she said, turning her hateful words to Heath, "will stay away from my granddaughter, you're not fit to be a father."

"That's a bit harsh Connie, anyway you're the one that brought her here."

"I won't be making that mistake again," she said as she ushered Darcy towards the door.

As Connie marched Darcy out of the house, Casey passed them on his way in. It was impossible for him to miss the hostility radiating from the woman.

"What was that about?" he asked as he dumped his bag on the floor. This wasn't quite the homecoming Heath had had in mind for him, but it didn't matter, he was here now, that's what counted.

"Nothing, doesn't matter." Then Heath stepped forward and hugged Casey. Normally he wouldn't, but he felt like he'd just had the rug pulled from under him and he needed the reassurance that Casey was really here. When Heath let go, Liam stepped forward and shook Casey's hand.

"It's good to see ya mate."

"Yeah you too. Man I'm glad I'm outta that shithole."

"How was it?" Heath asked, giving Casey a chance to talk if he wanted too, but Heath wasn't gonna push it, some things were best forgotten.

"It was no picnic, but I survived." Now that Heath took the time to study Casey he could see it was true. Casey looked different; tougher and more sure of himself.

"I'm proud of ya Case, you proved you've got sand."

"A real River Boy huh?" he smirked.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah I do, thanks Heath. Well I better keep moving, tonight's our Year 12 formal and I'm gonna surprise Ruby. I'll catch ya's later," Casey said before he turned and left.

Heath's head was spinning, there was a lot to process from the last fifteen minutes, not the least of which was Connie calling him an unfit father. He turned to Liam, who seemed to be thinking it all over too.

"Did you mean that family thing you said at the beach?"

"Yes."

"Good." That was all Heath needed to hear.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: This story always did lean towards being crack. This chapter is no different... **

Man it was good to be home. A few weeks of sun and sand and Casey felt refreshed. Juvie hadn't really been that bad. He'd beat the crap outta the toughest looking kid he could find on the first day and after that no one had hassled him. Of course he was constantly looking over his shoulder but he'd never run into any more trouble. But enough of that, he was free now, he didn't have to think about that stuff anymore. Coming home to the formal had helped. He'd been able to jump straight back into his life and spending that night with Ruby and his mates, just dancing and being kids, had allowed Casey to really put the past behind him. Normalcy had been exactly what he'd needed. And another brilliant thing about being home was the beach. Being able to hit the waves again was awesome, he'd missed the ocean. The freedom, the beauty, the rush. Reluctantly he turned his back on it for now and headed back the house after early morning surf, but at least he was outside and he was free and Casey felt maybe as good as he ever had. Things were on track, everyone was happy. Brax and Charlie finally had things sorted, he and Ruby were settled, and Heath? Well Heath seemed impossibly happy dating a guy. As strange as it was his brother and the rock star just seemed to work. Of course there were parts of their relationship he'd avoid thinking about at all costs but from what he saw of them, they meshed well. Liam provided a calming influence for Heath, and Heath seemed more settled, that restless energy was focused on his new relationship, rather than getting into trouble. And for Liam's part Heath never failed to brighten his day in some way, because Casey knew the bartender had a habit of brooding, and had suffered from bouts of depression, but Heath chased that away. They were good for each other and Casey was pleased for them. Apparently his stint in juvie had been good for him in a way, he found that he didn't worry about little things anymore. He didn't care that his brother was gay, or what other people might think about that. When he'd first found out, he'd been embarrassed by it, but now it didn't matter, as long as his family was happy Casey could be too.

Arriving home, Casey stashed his surfboard outside before heading in for a shower. For a long time to come he would regret his unfortunate timing. He stepped into the hallway and there they were...

"Oh my God!" Casey cried, before beating a hasty retreat. He headed for the kitchen sink, with some kinda half-baked notion about washing his eyes spurring him on. "Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod..." Hastily he turned the tap on, he sooo didn't need to see that. He watched the water rush down the drain, unable to think past the disgusting scene he'd just witnessed. He turned the tap off again, water wasn't going to remove the horrible image burned into his retinas. Lemon juice, maybe that would do it, or steel wool...

"Case, I'm sorry, you probably didn't need to see that." Casey glanced at his brother who was barely dressed and moments before had...gah! He didn't wanna think about it, but it wouldn't go away.

"Probably?! That was the most traumatic thing I've ever witnessed! I'm gonna need counselling for, for like...forever!" He hurled a tea towel at Heath, maybe if he hid behind it Casey wouldn't be reminded...

"Oh c'mon ya big girl, that's a bit dramatic. It was just a-"

"No! Don't say it! God, I don't need to hear it too." Heath's mouth twitched, Casey swore to God if he laughed now he'd kill him. This was the least funny thing he'd ever experienced.

"Sorry about that Casey," Liam said, appearing by Heath's side. He at least had the decency to look embarrassed, and to put some pants on. Casey glanced at his lips, they were flushed and shining... No! Don't look at his mouth, don't think about where it's been...oh fuck! Casey really was gonna need to see a shrink, this had scarred him for life. It was one thing to know that your brother liked doing _things_ with a dude, but to see it, the beach had been bad enough, but to see him being...having his...fuck! Casey closed his eyes and tried to wipe the image but it was useless. It had taken up residency in his brain and...and what if it never went away?

"Fuck this! You two are gross, I'm going to clean up." Though Casey was sure no amount of scrubbing was ever gonna remove this totally icky feeling.

"The shower's where we were heading, just didn't quite make it. That's ok though, you go first."

"Heath..." Liam warned gently, at least he was smart enough to know that teasing Casey in this moment wasn't the best idea.

"You just had to, didn't you?" Casey said, half of him furious, but half of him pleading with Heath to have mercy on him. He didn't need friends for the disturbing picture that had taken root in his mind, but already his imagination was conjuring up all kinds of sick images. Hands against a foggy shower screen, and other _parts_, against other _places_...no, no, no!

"Yep."

"Is anywhere safe?" Why? Why in God's name would he ask that? He just needed to walk out of the room before he was ruined completely.

"I dunno Case," Heath pondered, "Brax hasn't been here much, we've pretty much had the place to ourselves." A look of utter horror appeared on Casey's face as he sprang forward, scared to touch anything that might have been...violated.

"Stop it, it's disgusting," Casey pleaded, before dashing out of the room.

Now that Casey was gone, Liam turned to Heath.

"Well that wasn't mortifying," he said sarcastically. Heath didn't respond. "How could you do that to him? Aren't you embarrassed?" Heath fixed him with a steady look.

"I've never been more embarrassed in my life, but you think I was gonna let him see that?"

"Heathlogic..." Liam muttered, shaking his head in disbelief, not sure if he'd ever understand Heath entirely. But deep down he knew he didn't want to, he liked Heath's unpredictability, he hoped Heath would always keep him guessing.

"What?"

"Nothing. Now what?"

"I dunno," Heath shrugged, "having my little brother catch you tonsil deep in cock was kinda a mood killer." Liam sighed, both at the situation and Heath's graphic description. And yep, the mood was definitely dead.

xxx

"What's on your mind Case? You're very quiet." Oh shit it must be bad if there was a noticeable difference in him.

"I saw something I never, ever needed to see."

"What?" Ruby pressed, and it occurred to Casey then that a problem shared was a problem halved, and maybe if he put the horrible picture in her head too he wouldn't have to think about it so much. It wasn't a very nice thing to do to his girlfriend, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I walked in on Heath and Liam this morning."

"Oh." Her tone indicated she'd heard enough but Casey ploughed on, desperate for anything that would help him hold onto his sanity.

"Heath was pressed against the wall and Liam was kneeling in fron-"

"Ok Case, I get the picture, don't say anymore, I don't wanna be scarred for life."

"But I am," Casey pointed out, any good girlfriend would want to share this burden. She gave him a sympathetic look, but not an encouraging one.

"I have to face them tonight," she reminded him. She was right. Now that Brax and Charlie had things sorted, Brax was on some crazy crusade to make them one big happy family and had decided that a backyard BBQ was the best way to do that. "I want to be able to look them in the eye."

"Fine," Casey conceded, it was a fair point, he knew he wasn't gonna be able to pretend like nothing had happened, maybe he would need Ruby to do it for both of them.

xxx

So much for a nice family get together. Heath and Casey had barely spoken two words all night. They skulked in opposite corners of the yard, seemingly determined to make this as difficult as possible. Putting on a happy face, Brax gave them one last chance to make nice.

"Grub's up," he called as he placed the tray of meat on the table. Heath, Liam, Casey and Ruby all came over to sit, but even that caused a drama. No one wanted to sit next to anyone, or opposite anyone, and at a six seat outdoor setting that didn't leave a whole lot of options. In the end Heath sat to Brax's left, opposite Charlie, Ruby sat next her sister, Liam next to Heath and Casey sat opposite Brax, at the other end of the table, between Ruby and Liam. Casey and Heath sat with their heads hung low, and everyone was silent. Eventually it got the better of Brax. For once, just one fucking time, couldn't they be a normal family? Couldn't they sit down together and at least be fucking civil? Brax had made up his mind about Charlie and no amount of sulking from his brothers was gonna change that.

"What the hell is the matter with you lot? Can't we ever be a normal family? Yeah, Charlie's a cop. So what?"

"It's not that Brax," Casey hurried to assure him.

"Yeah we don't really care," Heath backed him up, "Charlie's cool." Casey shot Heath a savage look.

"Well what is it then? 'Cause I can't take much more of this." Heath and Casey glared at each other, each waiting for the other to speak, or maybe not to speak, and Brax was seriously considering smashing their heads together to get some answers when Liam piped up.

"It's silly Brax, nothing for you to worry about. It was just a..." Liam paused, fishing for the right word, "...a lapse in judgment I guess." That wasn't an answer.

"About what?" Brax demanded.

"Nothing, it's not important," Heath said quickly, obviously he had something to hide. His statement caused Casey to throw him an indignant look.

"My traumatised teenage brain says different." Heath turned on Casey.

"Christ! I said I was sorry, what else can I do? It's not like I can go back in time and change it."

"No, but you shouldn't have done it in the first place! I'm a child, I shouldn't have to see things like that!"

"Enough! I swear to God if someone doesn't tell me what the hell is going on right now..." Brax warned, he was sick to death of this carry on. Heath and Casey's mouths snapped shut and they looked at him once more, clearly determined not to tell. Brax glanced at Charlie, wondering if maybe she could help, but she was as clueless as he was. "Heath? Casey?" he demanded of them in turn, directing a glare at each of them, but both seemed utterly determined to avoid speaking.

Oh for fuck's sake, boys! Ruby watched the ridiculous display and like Brax, she had had enough, so she just told it like it was. Just blurted it out for everyone to hear. At least this way they could all get on with their lives.

"Casey caught Liam giving Heath a blow job. There, that's it. That's the _big_ secret." Brax blinked once, then twice, why did they insist on putting him in these situations? He needed to be the adult here, even though Heath was twenty-six, he apparently couldn't be trusted to act like one. Brax sighed before handing out his orders. Heath first.

"You, keep it in your pants." Liam next. "You, keep it above the waist in my house, and you," Brax said, turning towards Casey. Oh his poor little brother, he really did look traumatised, and no bloody wonder. Looking at him sympathy overrode the annoyance. "Maybe we better get you a collar with a bell or something. At least that way they'll know when you're around." Brax wasn't gonna laugh, he swore he wasn't, he meant to be mature about this but fucking hell, in the end he was their brother, not their father. And when he caught the look on Charlie's face out of the corner of his eye, the barely contained laughter shining in her eyes, he lost it. Apparently Casey didn't find this as funny as he and Charlie did, judging by the scowl he was directing their way. Once he had his laughter under control Brax couldn't resist one last dig. It was entirely inappropriate but Brax couldn't help himself, a smirk slid onto his face as he reached for the meat tray and offered it up.

"Who wants a sausage?" Heath groaned and hid his face in his hands, Liam's cheeks turned bright pink, and Casey? Well he declared that he was now a vegetarian. As it turned out this family get together wasn't so bad after all, and Brax was left wondering why he'd ever thought a normal family was a good thing.


	3. Chapter 3

"Today's the day," Heath announced.

"And what day would that be?"

"The day you get your butt in the ocean and learn to swim."

"I dunno Heath, don't you think a pool would be safer?" Liam could feel the argument looming already.

"Nah. I've been watching the surf conditions and it's perfect today, flat as a tack out there, so c'mon, chuck some boardies on and let's go."

"Umm, I don't actually have any. I don't really do shorts..."

"Oh my God, you are seriously retarded. We live in Summer Bay." Heath turned his back to riffle through a drawer. "Here." He produced a pair of black and white shorts throwing them unceremoniously at Liam's face. Liam scooped them up and hesitated. When he was a little kid he'd spent a lot of time in the water but since his parents had split he'd never gotten back to it. He'd never learned to actually swim, his dad had always been there to help him, but when his mum had upped stumps and taken him to the country to live, he found he hadn't wanted to try anymore. Besides, he'd become more interested in bikes and music than hanging out at the local swimming hole. Muddy creek water wasn't really his thing.

"What're you waiting for? Put them on and let's go!" It took Liam a moment to pull himself from the remembrance. Heath fixed him with a considering look. "What? Don't you trust me?" Heath asked, mistaking his hesitation for mistrust. Liam wasn't sure how to answer that.

"It's not that, it's just-"

"You don't really think I'd let you drown, do you?" Heath asked softening his tone and taking a seat on the bed beside Liam. There were moments, and this was one of them, when Heath could be almost charming. He looked so sincere when he asked the question and the implication was that Liam should give him the benefit of the doubt, and so he would. Heath was asking for this opportunity to help him with something, Liam wanted to let him.

"I know you wouldn't," he sighed in acceptance, and realising how that sounded he leaned in and kissed Heath, to let him know that this wasn't a chore, that he did want to do this with him. Heath returned the tender kiss.

"That's better," Heath smiled, sliding a hand into his hair, and looking steadily into his eyes. Liam loved the victorious gleam in Heath's eyes, it was that look he got when he knew he was asking too much but still getting his own way despite it. "This could actually be fun you know."

xxx

Heath's definition of flat as a tack and Liam's turned out to be two different things. Sure, it wasn't as rough as he'd ever seen it but waves still rolled up the beach. He gazed out to where the ocean stretched off to the horizon.

"You look like you're being led to the gallows," Heath observed. "Lighten up, it's alright."

"What if I get washed away to New Zealand?"

"New Zealand? You'd freeze or drown or be eaten by a shark long before you made it across the Tasman." Liam gave Heath an unimpressed look. "Relax, I'm kidding."

"I'm not doing this if you can't take it seriously," Liam told the surfer, looking for any excuse to back out of this ill thought out plan.

"Don't be a sook," Heath warned, "man up." What was that supposed to mean? Liam took a deep breath. "Shit," Heath sighed, "I didn't mean that. C'mon, we can do this." Liam wasn't so sure.

"Are there stingrays?"

"I dunno," Heath shrugged. "Probably, but I've never seen one here."

"What else? What about those blue bottle things?"

"Nothing a bit of vinegar can't fix," Heath dismissed.

"What about rips and currents and king tides?"

"King tides? That's crazy talk. Do you want to do this or not?"

"Hey Liam!" Liam looked up to see Romeo walking towards them. Thank God.

"Hey Romeo," he beamed back.

"Hi Heath," Romeo attempted when he reached them.

"Smith," Heath nodded.

"You going for a swim Liam?" Romeo grinned.

"Yes, he is," Heath answered for him, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the water. It was rude. Liam pulled his hand away.

"Not like this," he told the River Boy, "you're too on edge now." Though why he was Liam couldn't hazard a guess.

"No I'm not," Heath shot back defensively, proving Liam's point. He tried to grab Liam again. Liam stepped back.

"Yes you are, you're being irrational, not to mention rude."

Romeo watched them from a little way up the beach.

"Everything alright Liam?" he called.

Heath shot Liam a warning look.

"Yep," Liam answered before lowering his voice for Heath. "You better actually think before you make your next move." They stared at each other in a silent battle of wills, and in the end it was Heath who finally relented.

"Alright, fine. We'll do this another day." Liam wasn't sure whether that was the answer he wanted or not. He was at least grateful that Heath hadn't turned this into a scene. "I'm going for a swim." And that's what he did, leaving Liam on the beach with Romeo, not really sure what had just happened.

**AN: So yeah, this chapter is weird. I feel like they're being difficult with each other just because they can. I guess it's how I feel sometimes, I just want to be a shithead so I am. There's not really a reason for it. Anyway, I think the next chapter will actually have some plot in it. Also, I totally made up that backstory for Liam. Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

Charlie was giving up the force for him; Brax loved her more every day. It was a huge sacrifice she was making so they could have a future together, Brax appreciated that. She had asked him for only one thing, and he wanted to give it to her, but he couldn't. He couldn't leave Heath behind. Charlie had insisted on a fresh start, no more criminal activity from him, and no more law enforcement for her, and Heath jeopardised that, he was still a dealer and crime would follow them if he came too. Brax was going behind Charlie's back on this, after they'd promised there'd be no more lies, but Heath was family, nothing was more important than that. Charlie would forgive him, because he wouldn't be the man she'd fallen in love with if he didn't do this.

So he was here to talk to Heath, he had something important to ask. And for once in their drama-ridden lives it was a good important, not a bad important. The future looked bright and Brax was excited about it. At least that was until the strayed into World War Three.

"Maybe we _should_ call it quits!" came Heath's voice.

Christ, what had happened this time...

_A little while ago..._

"We're breaking up."

"Huh?" Liam asked in confusion, Heath's statement had come completely out of the blue. Unless this was about that thing with Casey? It was embarrassing but Liam thought they'd moved past it. And it wasn't like their living arrangements were forever, maybe one day they could get a place of their own. Or maybe it was that swimming thing? Liam hadn't mentioned it since that day, not really keen to reignite an old argument.

"Well not really," Heath explained, "have you heard what my bloody brothers have decided to do?"

"No..." Now Liam was completely lost.

"They've decided to run off to the city with their girlfriends." Wow, that was unexpected...and seemingly irrelevant.

"Uh-huh. And what's this got to do with us breaking up?"

"They're leaving me," Heath pouted. "I wanna see if they'll still go if I'm by myself."

"Right..." Liam said, "so you wanna know if Brax and Casey love you more than Charlie and Ruby?"

"I 'spose you could say it like that," Heath scowled.

"Aren't I good enough?" Liam asked, only slightly put out. The bond between the Braxton's was legendary after all. It surprised him that Brax and Casey would leave Heath behind.

"I-," Heath began, at a loss as to how to answer Murphy's question. Of course Murphy was good enough but it was the principle of the thing. It pissed Heath off that Brax and Casey would desert him. And he didn't wanna tell Murphy that he was enough, it was too...gah. Now Murphy was looking at him in that amused way he had and it annoyed Heath when Murphy found him amusing. "I 'spose you'll do," Heath admitted begrudgingly.

"Aw, I love you too," Murphy said sweetly, kissing him lightly on the mouth.

"Get off," Heath said pushing Murphy back, before they got carried away. "We've broken up, remember?"

"So we're still going through with that?" Liam asked.

"Yes," Heath insisted, "I wanna see how horrible they really are."

"Alright," Liam conceded, "they're your brothers..." It was about that time that an evil grin crept onto Heath's face.

"Let's have a big break-up, right in front of them..." he suggested.

"I dunno Heath," Liam said, "being a passive accomplice is one thing. Brax is my boss you know..."

"Not anymore, not if he follows through on this dumb plan and fucks off to the city."

"And if it works and he stays? I'll have to admit it was all bullshit. Or stay away from you..."

"No dumbass," Heath said, "it just means we'd have to have lots of hot make-up sex." Hmm, Heath's plan was getting better by the second, maybe Liam should get on board with it.

"What would we fight about?"

"I dunno, anything," Heath shrugged. "Pick a topic. It's not like we agree on much."

"Because you're stubborn and opinionated."

"No, because you're a whiny sook."

"I'm a sook? You're the one that can't function without your brothers. We're staging a break-up because they've upset you."

"God! If you didn't wanna do it, why didn't you just say so?!"

"Um, I'm pretty sure I did. You wouldn't take no for an answer."

"You're supposed to be on my side. I shouldn't have to."

"So I'm not allowed to have my own opinion?"

"On this? No. You should just trust me."

"That's rich, coming from the most unreliable person on the planet."

"Fuck you Murphy! You're the one that runs at the slightest sign of trouble."

"How dare you fucking say that to me?! Who stuck by you through all this shit with Casey? With _all _your shit in fact? No one else would!"

"Well I guess we know how you feel now. Maybe we _should_ call it quits! At least then you won't have to put up with such a nuisance in your life."

"You know what? Maybe you just found something we _can_ agree on."

_Now..._

Liam didn't even look at Brax as he stormed out the door.

"What the hell was that about?" Brax barked at Heath. He swore Heath was bloody incapable of managing a drama free existence. No doubt he'd done something to stir Liam up.

"Nothing."

"What did you do?"

"Why's this automatically my fault?" Brax gave him a sceptical look. "Fuck you! You've got no right to tell me what to do anyway. I heard about your little plan. Running off with the cop. I hope you're happy together, you're a good match. She's a pig and you are too. You're putting her ahead of your family!" Well this wasn't exactly what Brax had envisaged when he'd come here. Though why he was surprised was anyone's guess. Heath had never been known for his patience or rationality. Maybe Charlie was right. Maybe he was a hassle they didn't need.

"And would it be any bloody wonder why when you carry on the way you do?"

"Get fucked! I don't give a shit what you do. I don't need you and I don't need him!" Heath pointed towards the door Liam had stormed out of, tension rolling off him. Brax took a moment to consider before he spoke again. Heath was obviously lashing out because he was upset. He could be difficult, but whatever he was or wasn't, he was still Brax's little brother.

"I shouldn't have assumed. Wanna tell me what happened?"

Brax's calm and rational response in the face of Heath's anger took the wind out of his brother's sails.

"He's too fucking sensitive," Heath said, effectively admitting that Brax had been right to assume Heath's guilt, but he didn't comment on that.

"Will it blow over?"

"Who the fuck knows?" Heath pouted.

"Right," Brax said, deciding to leave Heath's romantic troubles with him to sort out and ask the question he'd come her to ask. "I came to tell you about moving to the city but you obviously already know that." Heath tensed so Brax hurried on. "I also came to ask if you want to come with us?"

"You... Really?"

"Yes really," Brax grinned, determined not to let Heath's dramas kill his good mood.

Never one to overthink a thing, Heath answered almost immediately.

"Nothing to stay here for. I'm in."

**AN: Ok, I admit it, I thought they were past this too, but I couldn't resist one last big blow up between them. They're just so fun to write when they fight. Anyway, thanks for reading :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Liam sat on the veranda, enjoying the peace and quiet of the farm. There was no one home, so he'd decided to take a seat and wait right here for Romeo to get back. Trouble with that though was it left him alone with his thoughts.

He hadn't meant to say those things, he loved Heath, but was it enough? If they kept saying these awful things to each other maybe it was harder than any relationship was supposed to be. And that was a lot of the problem, he just didn't know. He needed to talk to Romeo about this, his best mate had a way of asking the right questions to give him the perspective he needed. Once, Romeo had told him that maybe he and Heath weren't supposed to work, at the time Liam had thought that Romeo was wrong but Romeo's question had at least pushed him to that conclusion. But now? Well Liam was wondering if maybe Romeo hadn't been right all along...

"Hey Liam," Romeo called cheerfully, Liam looked up to see his best mate walking across the lawn grinning in his direction. At least someone was pleased to see him.

"Hey mate," Liam waved back. Romeo came and pulled out and seat at the table with him and it was then that he realised something was wrong.

"What's happened now?" he asked, and Liam knew from his tone that he'd gathered this was about Heath. Liam suddenly felt shitty for burdening Romeo with this, it was his problem after all.

"Nothing important, doesn't matter anymore."

"You obviously need to talk, so c'mon, out with it. Heath's being a pain in the arse again?" That bought a self-depreciating smile to Liam's lips, Romeo knew him too well. He shook his head in dismay.

"I don't even know how it happens. One minute everything's fine and the next thing it's a massive fight and we've broken up..."

"For good this time?"

"That's the thing," Liam answered with frustration, "I don't even know. How would I ever know?"

"Stop thinking about how he feels, how do _you_ feel? It sounds like you want to go back to him." Did he?

"I can't imagine my life without him."

"Well there you go."

"It's not that simple though, is it? I don't know if loving him is enough. We can't keep doing this."

"I think you're too upset to answer that now. Stay here for a few days, clear you're head. Then you can decide if there's enough good to outweigh the bad." Was that the only solution? A balancing act that would always leave him uncertain? If that was the case Liam didn't think he could live like that.

xxx

To prove that he wasn't the sook Heath said he was, Liam went to work the following day. Brax was there. Liam had always got along with Brax, probably because they understood their places in their relationship and both of them held up their ends of the deal. Liam was a dedicated and capable employee and Brax was a fair and accommodating boss.

"I'm assuming that somewhere along the grapevine you've heard about us heading to the city?"

"Yeah. Thought about what you're gonna do with this place?" Liam asked.

"I have actually. I'm gonna hang onto it for now. How do you feel about staying on, maybe as manager?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"I'd love to, thanks." Brax's faith in him meant a lot to Liam. He stuck out his hand and Brax took it. They shook on the new arrangement.

"If you want, I can make sure Heath steers clear of here until we're gone."

"No, it's ok. I'm bound to run into him eventually. May as well be while you're still here to sort him out." Brax gave him a weird look. "What?"

"You obviously didn't hear the whole story, Heath's coming too."

It hit Liam like a punch in the gut.

"What?"

"I thought you guys broke up. But I'm thinking now maybe I was wrong?"

"Yes, no, I mean I don't know. Is that what he said?"

"Not in so many words but his meaning was pretty clear. I'm sorry. If it's any consolation I think he's being a complete idiot."

"It's not. Thanks for the job." Liam went back to cleaning the bar. How could Heath just up and leave? Surely what they had was worth more than that, he had told Heath they were family. How could that not mean something to a Braxton? When he'd said it, he'd thought it meant everything.

xxx

"Don't you think you should talk to Liam about this?" Brax asked his impulsive brother of his decision to leave town as they packed up the house.

"What the hell for?" Heath demanded, as he roughly shoved their belongings into a box.

"I saw him today, told him we're going away. He seemed pretty gutted when I said you were coming too. You're onto a good thing here Heath. Don't stuff it up just because you're too pigheaded to say sorry."

"Got nothing to say sorry for."

"Even if that were true, one of you has to make the first move."

"So why's it gotta be me?"

"Why not? Do you really wanna lose him? Because you're going to if you can't swallow your pride. I know you love him-" Heath shot him a look then as though he'd just suggested they put flowers in each other's hair and skip down the main street of Mangrove River together holding hands. The thought prompted a bizarre scene to pop into his mind's eye. He and Heath skipped wildly down the street, no coordination or grace at all present in their clumsy, heavy steps. Suddenly Liam appeared on the scene, he seemed to come from nowhere, skipping perfectly with his hands behind his back and a dandelion behind his ear. Brax shook his head to escape the troubling image and returned to the present reality with as much composure as he was able to muster. If this was what too much time with Heath did to him, maybe Charlie had been right.

Back in reality, or rather the present (he was still having a little trouble believing this was where their lives had lead, what with him dating a cop and Heath having a boyfriend) Brax thought Heath's reaction was a little over the top just because he'd suggested Heath loved said boyfriend. He gave Heath a look to that effect.

"Look," Heath said, "I've made up my mind. I'm coming too and that's that."

"What?" They both snapped around at the sound of Charlie's voice. "Heath's coming too?"

"Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to talk." With that comment, Heath clapped him on the shoulder and cleared out quick smart. Apparently he wasn't as inept at reading signals as Brax thought. Though there wasn't really any mistaking the look of thunder on Charlie's face.

"You promised! Were you even gonna tell me?!"

"Look Charlie, I can explain..."

xxx

Brax was right. For the simple reason that Brax was always right. All that stuff he said about stuffing up a good thing and one of them making the first move. Heath couldn't even remember which one of them had started that fight. If that's even what it was. Really it was more like a joke that had gotten out of hand. Anyway, maybe he wouldn't even have to apologise, maybe Murphy would be so happy he'd called, that he'd end up apologising first. With that encouraging thought in mind, Heath pulled his phone out to call Liam.

xxx

Could it really end like this? Of course it could, this was him and Heath and things had never been easy. They grated each other's nerves, and pushed each other's buttons all the time. _Not all the buttons are bad_, a traitorous voice in his head said. No. Enough was enough. Heath had made it abundantly clear how he felt by deciding to move to the city without even bothering to tell him.

"Uh-oh, you've got that look on your face again," Romeo said, handing him a beer and taking a seat beside him. "What's happened now?"

"You ask me that too much." Liam twisted the cap off his beer and took a swig.

"There does always seem to be a drama..."

"He's leaving town. Moving to the city with his brothers. He didn't even have the decency to tell me."

"This is Heath we're talking about."

"Exactly. So how was your day?"

Romeo took the hint and launched into a long and hilarious tale involving the Blaxland, squid jigs and Japanese tourists. They were both laughing when Liam's phone rang.

Liam's mood sobered quickly as he looked at the screen lit up with Heath's name.

"That Heath?" Romeo guessed correctly as Liam continued to stare unmoving at the ringing phone. "You gonna answer it?"

Was he? Heath hadn't felt like talking about his decision to leave town before he made it, maybe Liam didn't wanna talk about it now it was done.

"Na," Liam decided, resentful that Heath had yet again managed to spoil his good mood. "Fuck him. I'm sick to death of it all."

**AN: Hey lola thanks for the review, nice to know you've caught up on the story. And thanks to you FrankElza for your reviews. **

**So I'm posting this chapter to celebrate the fact that I met Dan Ewing a couple of weeks ago! Have to say it was amazing :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: So I know I'm super slow with this story but what can I say? The muse will do what the muse will do. That, and I had to go back and watch some old eps which I finally got around to doing. Thanks to TreasureHunterGirl for making that possible by faithfully recording H&amp;A every night and archiving it onto DVD. Enjoy! **

The last time Murphy had done a disappearing act he'd headed up the coast, it seemed logical that he might do the same thing again. So Heath jumped in his truck and drove the two hours to Palm Cove. He checked all the spots they'd been before, including the secret beach, and it wasn't until he got to the motel and saw that Murphy's bike wasn't in the parking lot that he realised how stupid he was being. There was no way Murphy had come back here. Why the hell would he want to be reminded of Heath? He'd want to escape him. Obviously the bloke hated him now because he wasn't answering any of his calls. God, how was he supposed to make anything right if Murphy wouldn't even talk to him? Heath didn't know what the fuck he was supposed to do next. Had he screwed this up beyond repair? Ruined the best thing he'd ever had going for him?

He was pulling his phone out to call Murphy for the hundredth time when it began to ring. It was Casey.

"Yep," he answered, maybe a little more abruptly than he should have.

"Heath. Where are you?"

"Up the coast."

"Come home now. We need you..."

xxx

The drive back seemed to take forever but then he was rushing into the hospital. He found Casey sitting alone in the corridor.

"Where's Brax?"

"In with Charlie." Heath scanned the surrounding area, wondering which room he needed to burst into.

"Is she ok?" He'd never been her biggest fan but that didn't mean he wanted her shot.

"Heath, sit down for a minute."

It was only then that he really looked at Casey and he knew this was bad. Really bad.

"What is it?"

"Sid says her brain was starved of oxygen for too long. There's nothing more he can do."

"So what does that mean?"

"It means a machine is breathing for her. She's never going to wake up."

"Never?"

Casey bit his lip and shook his head. He was just a kid, this was a huge thing for someone so young to deal with.

"You alright?"

"I have to be. For Ruby."

"I'm not Ruby. Come here." He pulled his little brother into a hug.

"I'm scared," Casey admitted, "about Brax. About what he'll do." Heath needed to see for himself.

"I'll go check on him."

Inside the room it was eerily silent except for the beep of the machines. Charlie lay deathly still, tubes hanging out of her everywhere and beside her sat Brax. Heath had never seen his brother look so... _sad_. Nothing ever seemed to touch him, he was always so strong and resilient. He must have really loved her.

"Mate," he ventured, "I'm so sorry I wasn't here."

Brax answered automatically, scarily detached and without moving his eyes from Charlie's face.

"Doesn't matter. He's locked up now."

Heath didn't know what to say, he was no good at this emotional stuff. With Casey it was easier because he was still a kid but with Brax it was different. With Casey being so much younger than them he'd always come to them when he needed anything but with Brax, who was so guarded with his emotions, it was hard. He didn't think it mattered now anyway, nothing anyone said was gonna help him, but Heath needed to do something.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Brax shook his head and squeezed Charlie's hand. He was fighting to hold back tears and Heath decided that giving his brother some privacy was the best thing he could do for him right now. He was going to need some time to get his head around this. Someone as headstrong as Brax needed to come to terms with this in his own way.

"Call me if you need anything."

After seeing the reality of Brax and Charlie's situation the only thing Heath could think of was making things right with Murphy. Which still meant he had to find him. He'd just been dealt a brutal reminder of how short life could be and he didn't want to leave anything unsaid between them.

"Pick-up, pick-up, pick-up..." Why couldn't Murphy just answer? Heath tried to think back to what had actually happened during that fight, if Murphy had said anything that would give him a clue but all he could remember was that he'd been angry and upset, so of course he'd gone to ground. But where?

"Heath?" Casey's voice interrupted his thoughts.

Of course. When times were tough you turned your family and the closest thing Murphy had to family here was Smith. They were like brothers. He'd be the one Murphy would tell if he was going somewhere. Heath didn't have his number, he and Smith had never really gotten along, but he lived with that weird Dexter kid Casey was mates with.

"Case, what's that Dexter kid's number?"

"What?"

"That weirdo you hang out with. I need to call him."

"Okay..." Casey said uncertainly, pulling out his phone. Heath punched the number into his own phone.

"Cool. Thanks," he told Casey before heading outside.

Heath hit call before he really thought about what he'd say. Getting to Murphy was all he could think about.

"Hello?"

"I need Romeo's phone number."

"Right, and you would be?"

"Heath Braxton, and I need it now."

"Oh Heath, Casey's brother, they one that has a boyfriend but isn't gay." He wasn't even gonna comment on that but seriously, what the hell kinda conversations had Casey been having with his friends?

"The number?"

"Yeah ok, but what do you need it for? This isn't about drugs, is it?" he asked conspiratorially.

"What? No." If this kid thought dealing was exciting he'd been watching way too much TV. "I just need it."

"Is it about Liam?" God this kid was frustrating, couldn't he just hand the damn number over? "He's been kind of mopey these last few days." Hang on...

"Wait, you've seen him? Where?"

"Mainly on outside on the veranda, sometimes in the kitchen making breakfast."

"He's staying there?"

"Yeah I just said-" Heath hung up, that was all he needed to know.

xxx

Seeing Charlie in the hospital had really made things hit home. Brax had shut down, and no amount of comfort from anyone was gonna help. It was too raw and too devastating, beyond Charlie herself waking and telling Brax it was ok, nothing could possibly help now. It frightened Heath, the way they'd been so happy one minute, planning a future together, and now Brax would never speak to her again. Anything he wanted her to know, things he'd meant to say but just hadn't got around to, answers to any questions he had, were gone now. And they'd been at odds when this had happened, Heath knew because he was partly to blame for that. He was so sorry now for the hassle he'd caused, but words weren't going to make Brax's final days with Charlie any better now. The situation with Murphy on the other hand was something he could still fix.

"Murphy!" Heath called urgently. The man appeared, safe and sound as the last time Heath had seen him. Thank God. Heath didn't know what he'd meant to say, the words just poured out. "I was stupid, so, so stupid. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean them, any of 'em. You forgive me, don't you? And you know how much you mean to me right? Tell me you know that." Heath knew he was bordering on desperation now but he just need Murphy to acknowledge it. To let him know that the little things didn't matter.

He walked right into Murphy's personal space and pressed feverish kisses to the other man's face. His cheeks, his jaw, his lips. All the things he'd been denied access to.

Liam was shocked. Coming from Heath, it was an unusual display of affection and he wondered what had triggered it.

"What's happened? Something's happened."

"Tell me you know it first. That you know how much you mean to me. I don't want to live without you. Please..."

"Alright, it's alright," Liam assured him, "I know it's just how we are. I'm sorry too, I was way out of line when I said those things. I don't want to lose you either."

"Good, good, I promise you won't. I'll never leave you. If we can just remember this, how we feel here and now, we'll be ok. This is what matters..." Heath kissed Liam on the mouth then, as fiercely as he ever had.

"You feel that?" Heath breathed, eyes shining. Liam nodded, it was all he could manage. "It's how much I love you."

Liam was rendered speechless. Heath had never said that out loud before.

"Say something," Heath insisted.

"I... You do?"

"You didn't know that?"

"You've never said it before."

"I should have. I'm sorry, I'll never forget to say it again. I love you... I love you... I love you." Heath punctuated the statements with kisses. Liam had never felt so desperately needed. Heath was so determined to show him how he felt. He wondered how he could ever have doubted their connection.

Liam finally returned the kisses, he'd been childish to ignore Heath's calls. Heath was who he was and no amount of pouting from Liam was gonna change that. Not that he wanted it to, he loved who Heath was. He just wished he could be a little more considerate at times.

"I want you to fuck me."

"What?" Liam choked, "right now?"

This was a line they hadn't previously crossed and Liam's head was spinning with the speed of it now. Five minutes ago he didn't even think Heath liked him.

"No, when you come home. I _need_ you to come home. But first we have to go back to the hospital."

"The hospital?" Liam was gonna get whiplash if Heath kept this up. "Is everyone ok?"

Heath shook his head.

"It's Charlie, she got shot."

"What? How is she?"

"It's bad," Heath admitted before pulling Liam close and holding on tight.

"How bad?" Liam ventured, feeling Heath's arms tighten around him.

"Real bad. They said she's gonna die."

**AN: Hope that was ok. Thanks for reading :)**


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